Tenants who want to pop downstairs to the shop may soon be able to do so – thanks to the John Lewis Partnership. The company is exploring the possibility of converting some of its retail estate to private rented housing as part a strategy to regrow the business in the wake of the Coronavirus. In a letter sent to 80,000 …
Huge shake-up of leasehold proposed by Law Commission
After months of debate and deliberations, the statutory body that works on legal improvements says system needs total overhaul. Estate agents face major changes to the way leasehold properties are described, managed and sold following the publication this morning of radical proposals by the Law Commission, whose job it is to recommend to government when legal processes should be overhauled. …
Rightmove rental report
Read the latest rental market report here… Rental Price Tracker
ARLA CALLS FOR END TO UPFRONT FEES
From David Cox, Managing Director, ARLA Yesterday I met with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to provide them with the results from December’s members’ research into tenant fees along with a policy paper outlining ARLA’s view on how best to practically implement the proposed ban on tenant fees in England. The meeting, with the officials who are …
Increasing number of buy-to-let landlords set to become limited companies
An increasing number of landlords are set to look to take advantage of the chance to set themselves up as limited companies this year as they are faced with yet more taxation changes and related concerns. There was a quick rise last year in the number of landlords becoming limited companies after the change in Stamp Duty rules meant that …
Stamp Duty take falls by up to £500m over the last 6 months
In the aftermath of the UK’s Brexit vote and following a steady stream of residential tax increases, just released statistics from HM Land Registry, analysed by London Central Portfolio (LCP), has shown an unprecedented decrease in top-end sales across England and Wales in the first half of this financial year, which has seen Government revenues from SDLT fall by …
House prices to rise 2% in 2017, says Rightmove
Asking prices for properties in the UK will rise by 2% in 2017, although sellers in inner London will be asking less as the bubble ‘continues to deflate’, property website Rightmove has predicted. Sellers entering the market over the past month have priced properties 2.1% lower than those putting homes up for sale the previous month, at an average of …
NALS calls for CMA report into fees
A recent report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into legal services concluded that competition in legal services for individual consumers and small businesses is not working well. In particular, there is not enough transparency on price, quality and service to help those who need legal support choose the best option. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-demands-greater-transparency-from-legal-service-providers NALS CEO, Isobel Thomson, said: “It’s …
Government reveals plan to ban ‘rogue landlords’ who fail to repair properties as buy-to-let crackdown continues
Landlords and agents who mistreat tenants could be banned from letting homes Government consultation follows tax crackdown on buy-to-let Ban on tenant fees charged by agents also being consulted on The Government has revealed it will consult on plans to ban ‘rogue’ landlords and property agents who fail to provide tenants with a safe place to live. The proposals, …
H&H Land and Property look at how employing the services of a letting agent could help landlords save money
H&H Land and Property has welcomed the findings of a new survey recently carried out by the insurance firm Endsleigh. The results now show that by employing the services of a letting agent, landlords could save a significant amount of money each year, with the estimated savings amounting to as much as £1,910.00. Commenting Will Parker, Associate Director and …